Heatless in Stars Hollow
by Oh-no-she-di'ent
Summary: ONE SHOT!The heat goes out. In Stars Hollow. Luke and Lorelai are the ONLY two characters I focus on. Need I say more? Yes? Well, um, um...just click on it!


**Author's Note:** Here is another GG fic by me. I want to take a minute and thank all of you who have taken an interest in what I have written to date. It sounds weird to think of myself as any type of an author, but here I sit, writing my fourth or fifth _author's note_. Okay, let me stop right there. It's 4:03a. I have to be up at 9a, and I am posting a story. I have issues... that I will get checked as soon as I make enough money, which I currently am not, which leads me to my DISCLAIMER. Luke, Lorelai, Taylor, and especially Kirk will be returned as good as new to whoever owns them. I don't know who they are, and since I know _me_, I know that it is not me. Did I mention it's 4:03a? To bed I go. Enjoy, and pls don't leave any episode details beyond _The Great Stink_ in your review. Greatly appreciated.

Heatless in Stars Hollow

No one could have anticipated the severity of the storm that passed through Stars Hollow. On the news, it had mentioned how the neighboring town of Woodsbury would be hit with heavy thunderstorms. There would be strong wind gusts, accompanied by heavy sprays of rain, but it was supposed to miss the smaller Stars Hollow community. They had warned Woodsbury's residents to stay inside if at all possible, and they were advised to secure their homes the best they could. Taylor Doose, always taking his job as Town Selectman to heart, thought it best to warn everyone in Stars Hollow of possible incompetance at the local news-station.

"If everyone can direct their attention up here, we can get the meeting started. That means you there, in the blue ruffley ensemble," he said while theatrically pointing toward one of the more insignificant residents. Since the individual wasn't important enough to have a verbalized comeback, Babbette spoke up for her.

"Aw, Taylor leave her alone. Half the people in here are listening, which is more than you can hope for. Go ahead and talk." She sat back in her chair and gave him her full attention.

Taylor released an exaggerated sigh and continued. "I'm sure many of you have heard about the impending storm that will affect our Woodsbury neighbors."

"Yes, Taylor", "Mm-hmm", "Can we hurry this up, please", "It was on the first four pages of today's paper"... Came simultaneous replies around the small decorated studio.

"Well," he continued, "there's a chance that we may be affected as well, so--"

"It isn't even supposed to come in this direction, Taylor," Gypsy said.

"If you guys are willing to put your lives in the hands of newscasters who obviously rely on a wet vertical index finger to determine forecasts, then you can all just leave right now," he finished wide-eyed. The room filled with a building rumble as everyone gathered up their belongings. "Wait, where are you all going? That wasn't meant as an invitation to leave. I have not banged my gavel yet."

"OK, that sounds like something you'd want to be alone for, so can we just--" Lorelai said pointing toward the exit with a scrunched up face.

"Oh, sure Lorelai, make jokes. It's funny. Yes, it's so very funny. It'll be even funnier when you're all swept away in the eye of a deadly storm while you choke out your last words of how you should have listened to Taylor Doose. And, you know where I'll be when you release the scared plea for me to come rescue you?"

"Probably in the stomach of the storm, getting ready to be shot out of the ass of the storm since you're so full of---"

"I WILL BE," Taylor interrupted loudly, giving Luke an evil eye, "safe and secure in my well-boarded up home sitting pretty while the irresponsible majority scrambles around looking for cover from _the big bad storm_."

"I definitely don't see that happening," Luke commented.

"Well, it can," Taylor countered. "Thunderstorms are notoriously known for its unpredict--"

"I mean," Luke continued, not having paid Taylor any attention, "Sitting pretty? I've seen you sit, and I'd say you have more of a constipated quality." Laughter filled the room.

"Since I have mistakenly stumbled into some jive, extremely unscrupulous comedy club tonight, I am going to try to wrap this up." He turned to his right. "Miss Patty, can you please make a note of the shortened meeting? I will add the leftover time to Thursday's discussion of why those Capri pants should be banned. If they can't make a choice between pants and shorts, they should stay at home. The root word says it all--'capricious' means odd and I'd be the first to argue that these _Capris_ are quite eccentric. Lord knows, they look like bastard children of the Winter and Summer clothing lines," he added to himself.

"Life passing me by here, Taylor," Luke deadpanned.

"Uh, where was I?" He asked no one in particular.

"Sitting pretty-ly," Lorelai reminded him.

"Oh yeah," he said pointing a quick finger at Lorelai, "Bottom line here, people...after leaving here, I advise you all to go straight home to your families and lock yourselves up in your respective houses. Gather around in the middle area of your homes. Preferably in a windowless room."

"Add a strait jacket and some pads to that room and, Taylor, you've got a lifetime reservation," Luke added.

"Lucas, are you going to continue to butt in every thirty seconds of this meeting?" Taylor asked annoyed.

"Every thirty seconds that I am pointlessly here, I will continue to butt in. One guess at how you can stop it."

"As I was saying," Taylor said, "Stay away from all windows. If you have any boards or small wooden tables, place them against the window to keep anything from crashing through and harming a beloved family heirloom."

"What about to keep from harming a beloved family _member_?" Andrew asked.

"Well, them too. They were, of course, inclusive," Taylor added with little interest.

"Taylor, I will take your advice and do everything I can to ward off the possible effects of this storm," Kirk said like he was going into battle. "The best defense is a strong and Taylor-approved offense," he added throwing one fist into the air.

Nearly everyone in the room rolled their eyes toward the ceiling. Kirk's sucking up ability, if marketed, could put Hoover right out of business. "Well, if only your enthusiasm could be distributed evenly among the other residents," Taylor added smartly.

"Seven O' clock curfew, boards on windows. Got it. Anything else, Taylor?" Lorelai asked already getting up.

"Since you all have the very rude desire to vacate a meeting that could potentially save your lives, then I guess that is all. Please be aware that thunderstorms are God's way of letting you know that maybe you need to re-evaluate your desire to speak. A town of silence will help whatever storm comes our way move along quickly."

"Let's all start now, shall we?" Luke suggested as he walked past Taylor's podium. Taylor just looked at him evilly.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

"Luke, wait up!" Lorelai yelled running up behind him. He turned around and slowed his pace. She caught up to him, panting with exaggeration. Grabbing ahold of his shoulder, she took a moment to collect herself.

"Are you OK?" He asked, placing a hand on the back of her thick coat.

"Man, you walk fast! Show me where the fire is. I'll bring marshmellows."

"Sorry, I just had to get far, far away from Taylor as fast as possible."

Lorelai took one final big breath. "Well, you must've had practice because you're damn good at it." They started walking toward _Luke's_. "So, what are you up to tonight?"

"Nothing much; I was gonna go ahead and close up the diner. Do my part in helping Taylor keep what little sanity he has left. You wanted some coffee or something?" He asked her.

"Can't say 'no' to that," she stated as she followed him inside.

Luke went behind the counter while Lorelai claimed a seat on a stool. He started up a fresh pot. "Can you believe Taylor?" He asked as he worked to straighten up the diner.

"Actually, in his own special way, he may have a point. It wouldn't hurt to take a few precautions."

"What, have you and him reached some kind of an understanding?" He looked at her confused. She usually jumped on any chance to rag on the widely-annoying town Chair.

"If there is a level of understanding with Taylor, I don't think I'd have the strength to reach it." Luke's lips turned up into a smile. "I'm just thinking, you know, this storm may decide to shift or something, and it would benefit us to prepare for it." He nodded.

"So, I take it you'll be going home and throwing oak up against all of your windows, then."

She smiled nervously. "Not necessarily, but," she looked around, "it seems like the storm's going to be a doozy, huh?" She asked lightly.

"A doozy?" He'd started filling salt shakers, and he came to stand in front of her. "I wouldn't put it that way, but it seems like it's going to do some damage." She quickly nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that's what I figured." Luke poured her a cup of coffee, and she wrapped her fingers around the warm mug. "And Woodsbury is only a town over, so we probably will get some of it, right? I mean, most likely?" She nodded again at her own question. Luke just looked at her strange behavior.

"Are you alright? You seem a little on edge," he said not taking his eyes off of her face.

"I'm fine. Just peachy." She took a long sip and tried to change the subject. "What are you going to do when you close?" She looked up at him. He noticed that her eyes were a bright blue that usually came from some emotion that she was feeling very strongly. One of the things he'd learned over the years.

"Probably just going to go upstairs and go to bed," he said shrugging. "You?"

"I don't know. I'll probably go get lost. Somewhere between the moon--"

"And New York City," Luke finished knowingly.

"No, Virginia. Fewer tolls." She took another sip. "Did I tell you that my railing is loose in my house?" He shook his head distractedly as he worked, once again, to fill the shakers. "Would you mind looking at it for me?"

"Sure. I think I have some time tomorrow."

She concentrated on him working for a moment. "Tomorrow's...fine. It'll have really, you know, settled into its looseness by then, so tomorrow will be good."

"Okay," he said.

"Yeah, tomorrow's good," she repeated. "But, if you wanted to maybe come over tonight to look at it to...see what kind of work you're in for tomorrow, that'd be OK, too."

"Why would I want to do that?" He asked not looking at her.

"You don't have to. It's just a suggestion," she replied coolly. He looked up at her, taking note of the nervous air that she tried to unsuccessfully hide. The lights blinked as a thin bolt of lightening tracked across the sky. This was directly followed by a very loud clap of thunder that was nearly deafening. Lorelai flinched and looked outside. "OK," she said standing. "I think that's my queue to leave." She placed her mug on the countertop. Luke followed her actions.

"Are you scared of thunderstorms?" He asked sincerely.

"Luke, I am a grown woman with a grown daughter. What would I look like being scared of thunder? I don't like it, but I'm not scared of it." Another ripple of thunder tested her comment. "Aaaand, I'm leaving now," she said quickly. "See you later." She was out of the door before Luke could get a word in. He looked down to her full cup of coffee. He stared at it wide-eyed like it was the most unnatural thing in the world. In a way it was. Lorelai simply did not leave behind java.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

By the time eight o'clock rolled around, it was obvious that Stars Hollow would, in fact, be affected by the storm. Tree branches swayed fiercely, and the ones lacking in diameter broke off like a toothpick. Rain water swished and spun violently in the narrow streets as wind blew heavily, keeping it from settling to the ground. Cable and phone wires lay haphazardly across lawns and rooftops, causing small sparks that would cause a huge and/ or fatal _ouch_ if connected with human flesh.

No one in their right mind would voluntarily subject themselves to those conditions. But one Stars Hollow resident was about to prove himself to be the exception. Luke stared out of the diner's window as he bundled himself in his dark green jacket. It was barely thirty degrees outside, and while his jacket wasn't the most fashionable garment, it did its job well. He reached up and secured his baseball cap before taking a huge breath and picking up the supplies that he knew would be needed at his destination.

After Lorelai had left, Luke began to clean the diner. He poured out the rest of her coffee, and though he tried, he couldn't figure out why Lorelai was acting weird about the thunderstorm. They didn't receive storms often in the small town, but occassionally, they did get hit with them. He couldn't ever remember her acting that jittery before. Suddenly something dawned on him. Rory was away at college. Maybe, just maybe she was acting like that because it would be the first time she was alone during a major thunderstorm. It was just a theory of Luke's that came in a moment and left in the course of several more. Lorelai was a strong woman who could withstand many of life's challenges. Assuming that she'd be afraid or even jumpy about a thunderstorm caused Luke to dismiss the notion with a stronger resolve.

What made him return to and then act on what he assumed to be true-- was _his_ fear. Luke hated rats. Even the big one prancing through Disney World freaked him out, but he would never admit that he was afraid of them. He would never touch one, and if ever one was to somehow touch him, he would not be beyond screaming like a little girl. But only because he, uh, hated them so much. Of course.

If Lorelai thought her 'fear' to be anywhere near as ridiculous as Luke thought his to be, Luke knew he couldn't just show up and agree to be there for her through the storm. He remembered that she'd mentioned something about the loose railing, so he readied his toolbox for the short, yet rough journey.

Just as he reached up to turn off the diner's light, they flickered off on their own. He flicked the switch a couple of times but the darkness remained. He cussed under his breath before setting down his things and taking off upstairs. He grabbed a large amount of candles from his very abundant stash, figuring that he wouldn't be the only one without power.

Luke didn't make it to his truck without getting soaked. Even after taking large sprints toward his diner-side vehicle, he still managed to soak up plenty of rain water.

Making it up Lorelai's non-paved walkway was an even greater challenge, causing him to spend longer time in the rain. He tried to run, but running through her muddy, grassy yard almost caused him to slip, so he settled for a quick walk.

Once he made it to her doorstep, he lifted his foot and lightly tapped at the door. This was after determining the inability to knock with either of his hands.

Lorelai opened the door almost immediately. Her mouth dropped open upon seeing him. "Luke, are you crazy?! You could have gotten hurt in this weather." She grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him inside. "Come in here," she said.

"It's good to see you too," he said. Lorelai's power had been knocked out too. She had three long candles burning on the coffee table. She pulled him behind her, over to the dim lighting.

"You know what I mean. Of course, I'm happy to see you." Once they were in front of the candles, she turned to face him. "What posessed you to come out in this storm?" She asked as she took his bags from him.

"Well, I, um, remembered that I have plans tomorrow, so I came to fix your rail," he said in his most convincing voice. It sounded stupid and contrived in his own head, but he hoped it had come off believably to her. She stood rifling through his bags.

"You brought food!" Lorelai said gleefully. "And coffeeeeee!" She started to lean in with a grateful hug, but noticing how drenched he was, she just placed one hand on his cheek, but yanked it away quickly. "Goodness, Luke, you're freezing."

"Am I?" He leaned down and set his toolbox to the floor.

"Yes, you are." She reached out a hand and started to lightly squeeze at his jacket. Water wrung off in her hand. "You're going to catch pneumonia or something. You have to take this stuff off," she said parentally.

He looked down at his clothes. "And put on what? You're clothes are really nice, but I think they look a lot whole lot better on you." She smiled faintly as she looked him up and down worriedly. "You know what I mean," he added with a wave of his hand causing her to nod her understanding.

He opened one of the bags and started to remove the candles. "I figured these would come in handy." The last part of his statement was drowned out by a roar of thunder outside. He automatically looked toward the window and saw several wooden objects against the two main windows. He looked back to Lorelai who looked up at him embarassingly.

"Would you believe I was doing some redecorating?" She asked testingly.

He nodded and looked away. "It looks good," he said in a way that didn't ask for explanation. "Martha Stewart would be proud."

She nodded hesitantly, wondering if he was really going to accept that answer.

He tried to change focus quickly. "Well, let's get these lit," he said of the candles. "Where's your lighter?"

She picked it up from the arm of the sofa and handed it to him. He lit each one carefully and by the time he was done, the entire living room, foyer, and even parts of the kitchen were entirely visible.

"This is beautiful," Lorelai said looking at all of the dancing shadows on the wall.

He released a sigh as he looked around the room. "Yeah." He brought attention toward the bag of food. "You might want to go ahead and eat this before it gets cold. The coffee has probably already gotten warm."

"Don't worry, it won't affect consumption," she said smiling.

"Must have forgotten who I was dealing with."

She walked over and sat on the couch. She looked up to him and shook her head as she pulled containers from the bag. "Luke, you have to take off those clothes. The power is out, so in a couple hours time, it's going to be just as cold in here as it is out there."

He fanned his arms. "I'll be fine," he said.

"No, you won't. _Hyperthermia_ is not fine."

"I don't have anything to change into. What am I supposed to do--sit around here with nothing on?"

She rolled her eyes and looked down at the burger that she knew was about to give her a religious experience. "Of course, you don't have to sit around naked. Just take off everything that's wet."

He let a huge breath before peeling off his jacket and dropping it over the couch. "There. That's the only thing that's really wet."

She looked over at him. _Why is he making this so difficult_, she thought. She placed her burger on the table, stood up, and walked over to him. "Come here," she said. He stood still, wondering what she was about to do. She brought her hands to his chest and lightly rubbed at his flannel. Luke stared wide-eyed down at her, but she seemed to be all about business as she dragged her fingers across his shirt. Her touches were so light that he could barely feel them, but he still found that the act was a little beyond the limits of their friendship. "This is wet. Take this off," she said of his flannel. If that wasn't enough, she decided to aid him in taking it off, like she knew he was going to object its removal.

"I think I can take off my own shirt, thank you," he stated, trying to bypass her fingers. She dropped her hands, but held her position in front of him as he unfastened his buttons. He continued to look at her, wondering why she was standing where she was standing. She cocked her head to the side as she watched his fingers work on the buttons. She glanced quickly into his eyes before letting her gaze fall back to his chest. Once he had the flannel open, he started to take it off, and while his hands were busy doing that, she brought her hands once again to his body. Her touch was still light, but with his thin shirt, he could undoubtedly feel every touch. She started at the sides before bringing her hands around to the front. Her movements started out rushed, but soon slowed dramatically. "This one is..." She caught his gaze again, and looked slowly away, removing her hands at the same time. "This shirt's fine," she managed.

The whole time she'd been moving her hands, it didn't really occur to her what she was doing. She was just trying to help him. The last thing she wanted was for him to become sick because of his own stubbornness. It wasn't until she rubbed over and felt his defined abdomen and chest through the thin shirt that something clicked. _Lorelai, what the hell are you doing feeling Luke up?_ the voice in her head scolded. She stepped back a little and looked down to the floor. Her mind worked quickly to come up with something cleverly unique to say that would shake away the uncomfortable feeling.

Luke sensed her sudden apprehension and decided to rescue her from the hole that she'd clumsily fallen into. A corner of his mouth turned up. "If you wanted to cop a feel, all you had to do was ask," he said lightly. When she looked up at him, he smiled fully, which prompted her to do the same.

"Is it that easy?" She teased.

"Well, you can't play hard to get all the time," he responded without pause. She smiled widely as she rocked on her heels. He dropped his flannel on top of his coat and took off his hat and did the same with it. She looked at him undressing, and she found herself giggling at how this would appear to someone if they were to come into the house. He focused on her. "Yeah, that's just what every guy wants--a girl giggling while he's taking off his clothes."

"No," she said waving away his comment, "I was just thinking about something."

"Yeah, of course you were," he said blandly. He rested his hands on his hips and started to walk away like he was finished. Lorelai turned around toward him.

"Luke," she said tiredly like they'd been over it before, "I don't have to feel your pants to know that they are wet."

He knew what she was getting at, but still found himself asking, "So, what are you getting at?"

"Do I have to say it?"

"Whether you do or don't isn't going to affect my decision to leave my pants on," he stated firmly.

"Boxers or briefs?"

"What?" He asked.

"Do you have on boxers or briefs, and before you let me know how inappropriate that sounds and how it's none of my business, I just want to know because, either way, those pants are coming off, and if you have on boxers, then that'd be like having on shorts or something, but if you have on briefs, then that'd be like having on underwear, you know, and I could understand your reluctance there." She started walking toward the hall closet. "I'll get you a blanket so that you can wrap yourself in it, OK? Just please, please get out of those wet clothes," she finished. She came back over to him with a wool blanket. She looked to him pleadingly as she hugged the blanket close to her.

He looked at her and noticed how adamant she was. All of his points fell dead before they were given a chance to be verbalized. "Fine," he said low. He brought his hands to his pants and quickly began to undo them. Lorelai looked away immediately but brought her attention back to him, a little thrown that he was going to just stand right there and undress. She figured that he'd go to the bathroom or some other private location.

"Don't worry, I don't wear briefs," he said as he unzipped his pants. She nodded even though he wasn't looking at her. Her eyes, for some reason only they were privy to, were glued to the top of his pants, following his actions. He leaned down and undid the laces on his boots, and this is the moment that Lorelai took to tear her eyes away from what they were watching. She stared at a far wall while wondering what exactly she was expecting to see while looking at Luke. Most of her thoughts came from the fact that she had had little control over where her eyes had fallen. Genuine confusion and a twinge of embarassment covered her face.

When he stood up after removing his boots, Lorelai placed the blanket on the chair next to him and turned on her heel so forcefully, she nearly hit a full circle, which would have defeated the purpose of turning in the first place. It'd have just given more flourish to her stares. Brought more attention to it.

She went quickly into the kitchen and stood in there for a moment, trying to calculate the amount of time that it'd take him to take off his pants fully and wrap himself in the blanket. She almost regretted her request that he strip off his clothes in the first place. That was dismissed immediately when she saw the alternative of him getting sick. It was, indeed, the most logical decision.

When she finally decided that enough time had passed by, she came into the well-lit living room. She didn't see Luke anywhere, and just as she prepared herself to call out to him, she walked past the stairs and saw him standing there in his T-shirt, boxers, and a pair of long tube socks. His hands were on the banister.

"What are you doing?" She asked calmly like she was not at all affected by his lack of clothing.

He shook the railing. "I'm trying..." He shook it again. "...to see where it's loose." He moved his hands up further and shook it again. "It seems pretty firm to me."

She looked at the railing. "I could have sworn it was loose right there," she said pointing to where he had his hands." He jiggled it again and shook his head. Shrugging, she added, "Eh, well. Hey, you want to tell ghost stories? I know a good one." She walked over to the couch and took her seat in front of her food. He rolled his eyes at her ability to bounce from one subject to another shamelessly.

He descended the stairs and walked over to the couch, grabbing the blanket on the way. "I don't know any ghost stories," he said unenthusiastically. He wrapped the blanket around himself before sitting down on the opposite end.

"OK," she said with a mouth full of food, "So, you want to hear mine?"

"Nope."

"It's scary," she said trying to sell it.

"You'll tell it; I'll be scared; I already know the ending," he stated. The house filled with a bright lightening ray, and a short rumble of thunder punctuated it.

"OK," she said quickly. "Well, talk to me. Tell me something." She put her burger down and turned to face him. A forced smile painted her face.

"What do you want me to say?" He asked.

"Anything." She spoke quickly like she were in a race with her thoughts. "What's a guilty pleasure of yours?"

It didn't even occur to him to give her his usual gruff refusal to answer. The only thing he could think about was the look of panic in her eyes and his very natural desire to make it go away. "Um, I like steak," he answered.

Her wide-eyed expression changed to one of amusement. Luke wasn't even aware of the tension in her shoulders until she relaxed them. "That's a guilty pleasure of yours?" She asked.

"Yeah." He saw her on the verge of laughter. "Hey, it's not the most healthiest of foods."

"Okay, what's _another_ guilty pleasure of yours--one that would shock someone who knew you?"

"That didn't shock you?"

"My heartrate is slowing as we speak." He gave her a look. "Luke, I know you're a healthy eater, but it's only natural that you come over to the dark side every now and again." She paused. "Steak isn't even that unhealthy. Maybe if you said you ate a pez or something, then I'd need a resuscitator, but until then..."

"Well, help me out, then. What's a guilty pleasure for you?" He asked folding his arms.

She spent no time thinking of an answer. It was almost like she was anticipating the reversal. "Props."

"Props? What the hell is that?" She gave him a look that told him that he already knew the answer to that question. He rolled his eyes and felt himself blush heavily.

She smiled wide at his reaction. "Now, are you going to give me a real answer?"

He let out a breath and looked at her briefly. Her eyes never left his face. After a while of silence, he replied, "I can't think with you staring at me like that."

"Oh, sorry," she said turning back to her food. She picked up her burger. "Whenever you're ready," she said before taking a large bite. He stared at the wall as he tried to come up with something.

Finally something popped into his mind, but he had no intentions of letting her know that particular piece of information. As he tried to work to find a replacement answer, it barrelled more strongly into his mind. He knew that it was due to the nature of her answer. Without warning, the word rolled off of his tongue. "Oral."

Sudden coughing fits came from his left, and he realized that Lorelai had started choking on her food. He made an instant move to help her, but she held an arm out to him. She continued to cough. Once she'd calmed down enough to speak, she turned to him and asked with a bright red face, "What did you say?" She swallowed the food in her mouth. Her eyes watered and she wiped at them trying to make sure all senses were keen for a possible repeat of his words.

Luke relaxed on the couch once he realized that Lorelai was not in need of the Heimlich. He closed his eyes and, for the first time since he was a kid, wished that he could turn into an Eagle or something else capable of a quick escape. When he was young, he wanted the transformation so that he could see how tiny everyone would appear from his high altitude. Now, as Lorelai sat staring intently at him because of something completely inappropriate that he'd said, he wanted to disappear just for the purpose of not being where he was.

"Luke?" Lorelai asked after a while. He opened his eyes slowly and focused on a spot on the table before turning to her hesitantly. _'Here we go'_, he thought. She looked at him for a moment, waiting for him to answer her question. It became obvious that he wasn't going to initiate any exchange. "Did you say what I think you said?" She asked, her voice wavering a bit. She tried to suppress a smile.

"That depends," he answered low. "What, uh, is it that you, uh, think I said?" He could barely look her in the eyes.

"Well," she said giving into the urge to smile widely, "I asked you what a guilty pleasure of yours was, and it sounded like you said 'oral'." She said the word low as if she were sharing the password for access to her life's savings. "Is that what you said?"

"Can we change the subject, please?" He threw the blanket off of himself as his frustration grew.

Lorelai couldn't have cared less about his frustration at that point. She turned completely toward him and tucked both feet underneath her. "Oh, no, no, no," she said quickly. Luke's plan to distract her from the storm was working completely. It was just at his expense. He knew he had no one to blame but himself, though. She clasped her hands. "Okay, first of all, may I have confirmation?"

"How old are you?" He asked her.

"Thirty-five. Now, you have to answer my question," she said logically.

"Who cares what I said?"

"Well, me...for one, and I'm sure Freud would have _some_ interest."

"Geez, Lorelai, you heard what I said, okay?! Why are you making such a big deal out of this? Your thing was pretty telling, too, but I didn't try to make you feel uncomfortable."

She was silent for a moment before releasing a huge sigh. "You're right, Luke." She brought both feet to the floor. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he said sullenly. He brought his blanket back around his body and pulled it tightly.

Lorelai stole several glances at him before asking, "Is there something you want to know?"

"About what?" He asked gruffly.

"About my...thing."

"No," he said out of habit.

"Because I have so much I want to know about yours, so if I open up the floor for mutual discussion, will you participate?"

"No!"

"Luke, you can't just say something like that and not expe---"

"I said 'no'. I do not want to talk about this." He felt like he was in the 'Twilight Zone'.

"Fine," she said holding up her hands in surrender. "Subject averted."

"Thank you."

"For now," she added softly as she picked up her burger and continued to eat.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

The time passed by slowly, and with every dragging second, the house cooled down considerably. By the time it was eleven o'clock, both Lorelai and Luke were able to see their breath as they spoke. Lorelai had a blanket of her own as she sat nestled on the other end of the couch from Luke. They were grateful that the storm had moved along, but rain still fell steadily.

"Sooo cold!" Lorelai's teeth clattered. "Sooo cold! Luke, are you cold?"

"Of course I'm cold, Lorelai," he answered. "I am nearly naked under this thing."

"Well, why are you so quiet if you're cold?"

"Because it's too cold to talk. Not everybody can break out in a chorus of 'Killing me Softly' for a straight hour."

She breathed heavily for a few seconds. "I can't take this. I'm not generating any heat over here."

Her voice cracked, and each word she spoke was forced out over a shaky voice. "Don't worry, I'm sure Taylor is calling around trying his best to guilt someone into coming out to fix the outages."

"All of the ca-ca-candles in here and it's still freezing."

"Try not to think about it," Luke said. She was silent for about three minutes. "Lorelai?" Luke called.

"Hmmm?" She answered.

"You okay down there?"

"Not really," she said shakily. "You?"

"I don't think I'm as bad off as you." He sat up a little so that he could see her. She was trembling slightly as her head rested against the arm of the chair. "Hey," he called out to her. She opened her eyes and looked down to him. He looked at her for a couple of moments before she closed her eyes back.

Without another word, he stood up with his blanket and moved toward her end. She opened her eyes again to find him standing over her. He moved toward the sofa like he was expecting her to make room for him, so she instinctively moved toward the back of the couch. He climbed onto the sofa and she automatically lifted herself up and turned her back to him.

Luke's body, while stiff at first, fit comfortably around Lorelai's. He hadn't thoroughly thought out his actions, but he knew that she needed some type of warmth, so he did the only thing he could do. He knew that he wouldn't just stand by and watch her suffer if there was anything that he could do to prevent it. It was physically impossible for him to do that.

He had both his arms wrapped around her, and he could feel her shaking. He gingerly began to run one hand up and down her arm as he brought his cover more tightly over the two of them.

"Talk to me," Luke said softly. Lorelai could feel his breath on her neck, and his words, which were not meant to sound so intimate, served to warm her entire body briefly.

"What do you want me to say?" She asked, switching their earlier roles.

"You need direction for conversation?" He chuckled. "Just talk to me."

His body was warm. Really warm, and Lorelai was basking in the comfort of it. She slowly started to move one of her feet back around his leg to steal as much heat from him as possible.

Luke expected something silly and/or inappropriate to come out of her mouth, given their earlier conversation. He knew, though, as long as she was showing herself to be alright, he would deal with it. He was, actually, surprised at what did come out.

"Thank you, Luke," she said quietly. Her voice no longer shook as she spoke. "I just wanted you to know that I just--thank you." There was a brief pause in conversation.

"You're welcome," he said, though the reason for her gratitude wasn't exactly clear to him. He knew that if she wanted to tell him, then she would, so he didn't bother trying to push it further. Her foot moved slowly back and forth across his leg, generating a physical heat, as well as an increase in internal temperatures. "Are you warming up?" He asked her. He lifted his head slightly and was a centimeter away from saying it directly into her ear. If asked _'why'_ on a polygraph, the needle wouldn't conflict his answer of not knowing. It wasn't a means to an end because he wouldn't even know what 'end' would be expected.

"Mm-hmm," she mumbled contentedly.

Lorelai found it difficult to keep her eyes open. She wasn't necessarily sleepy, but with her eyes closed, she realized that it was easier to let her body and mind sink comfortably into what she was feeling. It was more of a dream, with no responsibilities to uphold societal rules and regulations for allowing your best friend to be this close to you.

"You're not talking," he whispered. His hand, which had been rubbing her forearm, started to rub up to and then past her elbow. She took a moment to collect herself before speaking.

"Can I say anything?"

"Anything you want to. Just talk." After the last word left his mouth, he slid his hand up to her shoulder and brought it back down slowly. She leaned her head back against his forehead before bringing it back. Her breathing suddenly became audible. When his hand made the long journey back down to her wrist, she brought her right hand over it, and with a trembling hand, she placed it gently across her stomach. She allowed her hand to rest on his for a moment before she removed it. He moved his fingers lightly.

"Do you," she began raggedly, "um..."

"Do I what?" He said it so softly that she barely heard him. He moved his hand to the side of her stomach and moved down until he reached the bottom of her shirt. He cautiously allowed his hand to slip underneath. He rubbed his way back up her side, allowing himself to enjoy the softness of her skin. "Hmmm?" He urged. He brought his hand down and caressed her stomach. She breathed out his name. His response was to place her name on an even heavier breath.

She tried to continue. "I just want to know if...You. Like..." His hand grazed the underside of her breasts sending a spark through her. "To uh, give or, um rec-receive." She swallowed hard.

Every since he'd laid down behind her, she could feel him through his thin layer of fabric. It didn't feel to her like he had done it on purpose, but the small space on the couch made it inevitable, so she tried to be a grown-up about it. As her question about his bedroom activities was vocalized, she felt him pull his hips back a little. And in response, her own hips reared back as if to fill a sudden void. It connected with its mark immediately, causing Luke to release a small groan.

His voice came out so husky that he didn't even recognize it himself. "I'm a, uh, fan of both."

"So am I," she whispered back. His hand slid down her body and ran along her thigh before returning to her stomach. Her skin was burning hot beneath his touch. "Your turn," she said.

"To do what?" It didn't even seem to Lorelai like he was speaking anymore. It seemed instead like he was sending sound waves through her body and allowing them to decode in her brain.

"To ask me something."

"I don't have anything I want to...say."

She let out a small laugh, which caused her body to shake against his. "You said you wanted to talk," she said, voice brimming with unspoken desire. Her eyes remained closed.

He pulled her tighter to him as he continued to stimulate her body. "That was before..."

"Before what?" She asked teasingly. She squirmed sexily in his arms.

He swallowed hard as he tried to keep _his_ body from reacting. "Before you became so, um, hot."

A slow smile spread across her face as she turned her head, placing her cheek next to his face. "So, I wasn't hot before?" With that, Luke lost the last of his resolve.

"Turn around," he whispered jaggedly. She wasted no time in doing so, and it was the first time in what seemed like hours that she opened her eyes. Before she was fully rotated, Luke's lips connected to hers causing her lids to slide back shut. She pressed herself tightly against him, which nearly caused him to hit the floor. He reached out and grabbed the top of the couch and rolled her over onto her back. From his new elevated position, he deepened the kiss.

He hovered in between her legs, while her feet lay flat on the sofa's cushions. One by one, she lifted each leg and wrapped them around his waist, causing him to drop fully onto her. She wore a pair of cotton lounging pants that when connected to his very thin boxer shorts, gave her the sensation of skin-to-skin contact. The moan that she let loose showed that she had no objections to it.

Her hands roamed his back and she let her hands move up and softly grasp the back of his neck before slowly rubbing through his hair. He detached his mouth from hers. Both were breathing heavily. Their eyes remained closed for several seconds. "Your hair's wet," she said breathlessly.

"Still?"

"Yeah," she said softly as she continued to move her hands. He lowered his hips to just below her middle and started to gently kiss her neck. He felt her swallow. "I like your mouth," she whispered.

"I like your everything," he said back, not bothering to stop what he was doing.

Lorelai smiled broadly. "Good answer." He seductively licked a patch of her skin before gently sucking on it. She actually purred. "Very good answer."

He let it go and resumed kissing her neck and jaw. She lowered her head and met his mouth in an intoxicating kiss. Their movements were so natural and unhurried that it made them both wonder if maybe they'd taken part in doing this in some other life. Once the kiss slowed, they spent several seconds lightly pecking the other's lips. So much so, that they found themselves smiling into the kisses.

"I feel," kiss "like" kiss "a" kiss "woodpecker," Luke managed.

Lorelai gave him a lingering kiss, breaking it with a cheesy grin. "You said wood," she said giggling. He rolled his eyes and gave her one final quick peck before bringing his head down to rest on her chest. She closed her eyes and dropped her head to the pillow. She continued to massage his scalp.

"You feeling better?" Luke asked, mainly just to fill the silence.

She let a few moments pass before answering. "You always look out for me," she said softly.

"You don't need anybody to look out for you," he replied.

"No, I don't," she agreed quietly. "But, it's nice to know that somebody is. That you are."

He started to deny anything that she may have been insinuating, but found himself saying, "You'd do the same for me."

"In a heartbeat," she said seriously.

The room grew silent and remained that way for several minutes. Their last words hung heavily in the air, but there was no discomfort to be found.

"I feel like we're in the last scene of "Titanic", minus the water. 'Waiting for an absolution that would never come'." Lorelai could feel Luke's body shake from his smothered laughter.

"I don't think it's quite that dramatic."

"Yet. Don't speak so fast there, Jack." He grunted out a rejection of the name before they fell, once again, into a contented quiet. Rain could be heard as it lightly tapped against the windows. Their hands continued its exploration--Lorelai, in and around his hair and Luke, along her legs and midsection.

"So..." Began Luke.

"So..." Lorelai repeated.

"Props, huh?"

Lorelai laughed fully. "Talk about your expert broachers." Luke couldn't help but smile against her body. She released a few more consecutive giggles and took a deep, calming breath. "Yeah, I'm still a kid at heart."

"Hence the toys."

"Santa has yet to tire of me."

"I doubt Santa has anything to do with the things that you probably use."

"What is it that you think I use?" She asked skeptically.

He paused. "I don't know." He lifted his head to look at her. "Do you want to tell me?"

She smiled sweetly down at him. "Sight over sound," she said unguardedly.

"Is that an invitation?" He asked jokingly while holding her gaze.

She looked at him with a look that he couldn't place. Her eyes focused on him in a way that made him feel like he was the only thing that mattered to her. It wasn't an exotic look, though he wouldn't be beyond appreciation of that. No, that wasn't it at all. It was an adoring stare where it was almost possible for him to see everything that she thought of him. What he saw made him feel exposed and self-conscious, but he still wanted to migrate toward it. A shy smile crept slowly onto her face as if she were surreptitiously discussing intimacies with another, and it was overheard by the person who held the spotlight. A spotlight deserving of the grandest color schemes and set designs.

"Penny for your thoughts," Luke said as he averted his eyes.

"A nickel for your kiss," she added sweetly.

Luke smiled. "A dime if you tell me you---" He stopped abruptly, realizing what he was about to say. Lorelai looked down to the floor and bit her lip shyly. Looking back to him, she smiled wider with a bashfulness that Luke found to be the most sexy of all her hypnotizing conveyances.

She smoothed her hands down to the sides of his face while her eyes scanned various facial features, finally settling on his eyes. "How about I just give you a twenty later, and we'll call it even?"

He shook his head. _'How does she do that?'_ He thought. "Sold," he said softly. They stared adoringly at each other before they both leaned in, coming together like two opposing charges. Their lips came together, and the sensual dance began. Their tongues took over the floor and swept away everything else that threatened a challenge. The only thing that came between was the need for oxygen.

"You do that so very well," she breathed out while staring down at his lips.

"Not so shabby yourself."

"Well, as long as I'm aspiring..." She joked, still finding his lips to be the most interesting of sights.

Before Luke could respond to her, the room was suddenly filled with the sounds of AC/DC. The lights came on, making the candles' presence and dedication for the past few hours seem insignificant. Luke just stared dumbly at Lorelai's stereo as the band sang about finding a wet patch of _something_ on some girl's seat. He shook his head, and Lorelai started to laugh uncontrollably.

"And with that..." he said sliding to his knees. He gave her a kiss on her temple and stood up, wrapping the blanket quickly around his waist. She brought her knees up to her chest, as an emptiness started to creep its way up her body. She watched him as her laughter died down to a playful smile.

"Where you going?"

"I," he said removing the blanket and choosing, instead, to wrap his entire body in it like a burrito, "am going to camp out in front of the stove." He looked back to her. "Care to join me?" She took comfort in watching him feel so at home in her house.

She shrugged and climbed off of the sofa, taking her blanket with her. "Sure." She walked past him as if everything were the same and they were just Luke and Lorelai. "Maybe we can even throw something in it because I am STARVING."

He walked sluggishly behind her. "What else is new?"

"Do you think you can put on a pot of coffee?" She asked brightly.

"No."

"Why? Luke, we almost died. The least you can do is make a friggin' pot of coffee."

"We did not almost _die_."

"Yes, we very well could have. And, I would have never had another cup of coffee ever again. I would have missed it."

Luke had turned on the oven and stood leaning against the countertop. "Is that all you would have missed--my coffee?" He asked.

She had sat down in a chair at the table. Slowly, she stood up and walked over to him. She stood on her toes and gave him a soft, but fully engaging kiss. They separated after several moments. She stepped back a couple of inches while holding eye contact. "Of course not," she said. He smiled, and she took the moment to add with an eye wink, "What is coffee without pie?" He shook his head and walked away.

**---The End---**

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